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arXiv · 2601.01128

On counting polygons in a crystal

Geoffrey R. Grimmett
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Abstract

How many $n$-step polygons exist that contain a given vertex of an infinite quasi-transitive graph $G$? The exponential growth rate of such polygons is identified as the connective constant when $G$ has sub-exponential growth and possesses a so-called square graph height function. The last condition amounts to the requirement that $G$ has a certain ${\Bbb Z}^2$ action of automorphisms. The main theorem extends a result of Hammersley (Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 57 (1961) 516--523) and others for the hypercubic lattice, and responds to Hammersley's challenge to prove such a result for more general "crystals''.

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Geoffrey R. Grimmett. 2026-01-03. On counting polygons in a crystal. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.01128

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